Lake Barkley Fishing
A Kentucky lake of 39,496 acres in Kentucky in Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties.
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Ahead of a first cast on Lake Barkley
In Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties, Lake Barkley spreads over 39,496 acres in Kentucky by the KDFWR note. Add the Tennessee side and KDFWR prints 49,083 acres in all. Ownership in the KDFWR layer reads Army Corps of Engineers. The Census town of Eddyville is about 12 miles away.
KDFWR plots 40 ramps and carry-down launches around its shore. Statewide limits shift here through 11 special-regulation lines. The water crosses into Tennessee.
Acreage as KDFWR notes it on the Lake Barkley waterbody page (KDFWR), read November 10, 2026.
KDFWR waterbody page for Lake Barkley, read November 10, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (TIGERweb) and the 2023 Gazetteer, read November 10, 2026.
Agency remarks on Lake Barkley
Attractor maps and assessments for Lake Barkley
- Lake Barkley Fish Attractors in Google maps!KDFWR link
- Lake Barkley Fish Attractor Data in various formats for downloadKDFWR link
- Lake Barkley Largemouth Bass Fishing Quality AssessmentKDFWR link
KDFWR waterbody page for Lake Barkley, read November 10, 2026.
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KDFWR names these species for Lake Barkley in its rules and stocking tables.
KDFWR waterbody page for Lake Barkley, read November 10, 2026.
Concrete and gravel ramps reaching Lake Barkley
- Bacon Creek – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Barkley Tailwater Boat Rampboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Barnett Bay – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, unpaved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Boat Haven Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; fee charged (amount not listed by KDFWR); open year-round, all hours
- Boyd's Landing Public Access on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; seasonal, all hours
- Buzzard Rock Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Canal Campground Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; fee charged (amount not listed by KDFWR); seasonal, all hours
- Craven's Bay – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; seasonal, all hours
- Crooked Creek – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Demumbers Bay – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Devil's Elbow – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Devil's Elbow Corps Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Donaldson Creek – Calhoun Hill Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Double Creek Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Dryden Creek Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Eddy Creek – Coleman Bridge Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Eddy Creek Public Access on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Eddy Creek Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Eddyville Ferry Landing – LBL on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Eureka Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, limited hours
- Ford Bay Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, unpaved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Green Turtle Bay Resort on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 51 or more vehicles, paved lot; fee charged (amount not listed by KDFWR); open year-round, all hours
- Holiday Hills Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; fee charged (amount not listed by KDFWR); open year-round, all hours
- Honker Bay Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Hurricane Creek Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; seasonal, all hours
- Kuttawa Harbor Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; fee charged (amount not listed by KDFWR); open year-round, all hours
- Kuttawa Landing Ramp – LBL on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Kuttawa/Lyon County Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes, courtesy dock; parking for 51 or more vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Lake Barkley State Park Boat Rampboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 51 or more vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Linton Recreational Area Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Little River Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Mammoth Furnace Ramp – LBL on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, unpaved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; seasonal, all hours
- Meschan Bridge Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Mineral Mound State Park Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, multiple lanes, courtesy dock; parking for 51 or more vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, limited hours
- Nickell Branch – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Poplar Creek Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Prizer Point Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock, marina; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; fee charged (amount not listed by KDFWR); open year-round, all hours
- Rockcastle Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 26 to 50 vehicles, paved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Shaw Branch Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
- Taylor Bay – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkleyboat ramp, paved, single lane, courtesy dock; parking for 25 or fewer vehicles, unpaved lot; no fee; open year-round, all hours
Alternate launch points beside Lake Barkley
- LBL Honker Lake Boat RampHonker Lake, under a mile south
- LBL Hematite Lake Boat RampHematite Lake, 1 mile southwest
- LBL – Energy Lake RampEnergy Lake, 4 miles south
- Smith Bay – LBL Boat Ramp on Kentucky LakeKentucky Lake, 6 miles west
- Sugar Bay – LBL Boat Ramp on Kentucky LakeKentucky Lake, 6 miles southwest
- Pisgah Bay Ramp on Kentucky LakeKentucky Lake, 7 miles west
Fee amounts and gate times at Lake Barkley are not in the KDFWR layer: only a yes or no and an hours category.
KDFWR Fishing Access Sites in Kentucky layer (ArcGIS service: lanes as single or multiple, fees as yes or no, hours as categories), read November 10, 2026.
Latest reading at Lake Barkley
USACE Nashville District reading at Barkley Lock and Dam for Lake Barkley, November 10, 2026 18:00 UTC.
USACE Nashville District via USACE Access to Water (location page), latest values at retrieval November 10, 2026. Provisional.
Read the date beside each Lake Barkley value before planning a launch.
What a stringer from Lake Barkley may hold
Below is the special-regulation table KDFWR posts for Lake Barkley, unedited.
| Species | Rule as KDFWR prints it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Must be 15 inches or over, Statewide creel limits apply | |
| Smallmouth Bass | Must be 15 inches or over, Statewide creel limits apply | |
| Black Crappie | Must be 10 inches or over – limit 20 Crappie, Black or White, per angler | |
| White Crappie | Must be 10 inches or over – limit 20 Crappie, Black or White, per angler | |
| Redear Sunfish | Statewide Regulations Apply | |
| White Bass | Statewide Regulations Apply | |
| Striped Bass | Statewide Regulations Apply | |
| Sauger | Must be 14 inches or over, Limit 6 per angler |
KDFWR waterbody page for Lake Barkley, read November 10, 2026.
Guide special-regulation text for Lake Barkley
- BARKLEY, KENTUCKY LAKES (and their connecting canal)Crappie: 10-inch minimum size limit.
- BARKLEY, KENTUCKY LAKES (and their connecting canal)Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit.
- KENTUCKY, BARKLEY LAKES (and their connecting canal)Crappie: 10-inch minimum size limit.
- KENTUCKY, BARKLEY LAKES (and their connecting canal)Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit.
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 7-12; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
The KAR subsection covering Lake Barkley
- Lake Barkley.Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass size limit, fifteen (15) inches.
- Lake Barkley.Crappie size limit, ten (10) inches.
301 KAR 1:201 Section 3(42), last effective September 3, 2026 (Kentucky Administrative Regulations), read November 10, 2026.
Baseline Kentucky creel rows for Lake Barkley
| Species group | Daily | Possession | Minimum size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 6* | 12* | 12" |
| Smallmouth Bass | 6* | 12* | 12" |
| Redear Sunfish | 20 | 40 | none |
| Walleye, Sauger, and their Hybrids | 6* | 12* | 14" |
| White & Hybrid Striped Bass | 15** | 30** | none** |
| Striped Bass | 5 | 10 | 15" |
| Crappie (Black & White) | 20* | 40* | none |
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 4; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Possession at Lake Barkley follows the guide line: "A possession limit is two times the daily limit for all fish species with a daily limit, excluding previously processed fish."
Anglers 16 and older need a Kentucky fishing license; the 2026 guide prints $24.31 for the resident annual license and $58.14 for nonresidents.
License prices as printed in the 2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide, p. 2 (2026 CPI-adjusted fees; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Which license works on all of Lake Barkley
The guide's border-water section names no reciprocal agreement for Lake Barkley; its Tennessee portion follows Tennessee license rules, while the Kentucky Lake agreement covers only the Eggner's Ferry to Ned McWhorter Bridge stretch of Kentucky Lake.
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 5; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
State-record weights pulled from Lake Barkley
| Species | Weight | Date | Water as KDFWR prints it | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 1.58 lbs | 03/02/2024 | Lake Barkley | current |
| Logperch | 0.08 lbs | 04/25/2007 | Lake Barkley | no longer accepted |
Kentucky state record fish as listed by KDFWR (record list), read November 10, 2026.
Bass and crappie events weighing in on Lake Barkley
Every Lake Barkley event we found links back to the organizer.
The tailrace under Lake Barkley
- Lake Barkley TailwaterKDFWR tailwater page
Lake Barkley and nearby lakes side by side
In acres, Kentucky Lake outweighs the others here with 55,025 acres in Kentucky.
| Lake | Distance | Size | County | KDFWR launches | KDFWR rule rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Barkley | 39,496 acres in Kentucky | Livingston County | 40 | 8 | |
| Honker Lake | under a mile south | 212 acres | Trigg County | 1 | 0 |
| Hematite Lake | 1 mile southwest | 84 acres | Trigg County | 1 | 0 |
| Energy Lake | 4 miles south | 326 acres | Trigg County | 1 | 0 |
| Kentucky Lake | 11 miles southwest | 55,025 acres in Kentucky | Calloway County | 45 | 8 |
| Mike Miller Park | 18 miles west | 3.9 acres | Marshall County | 0 | 6 |
KDFWR waterbody pages and access layer; outline sizes are GIS figures. Read November 10, 2026.
In the same corner as Lake Barkley
Reservoirs and small lakes around Lake Barkley
- Honker Lakeunder a mile south
- Hematite Lake1 mile southwest
- Energy Lake4 miles south
- Kentucky Lake11 miles southwest
- Mike Miller Park18 miles west
Bait and tackle on the way to Lake Barkley
- Lake Barkley Marinamarina, Cadiz, 6 miles
- Eddy Creek Marina Resortmarina, Eddyville, 7 miles
- Fish Islandbait and tackle shop, Cadiz, 8 miles
- Moon River Marina and Resortmarina, Cadiz, 8 miles
- Hester's Resort & Marinamarina, Benton, 9 miles
- Moors Resort & Marinamarina, Gilbertsville, 10 miles
Guide businesses listed close to Lake Barkley
- Dan Cayce Guide Servicefishing guide, Cadiz, (270) 886-8592
- Fishing Hype Guide Servicefishing guide, Kuttawa, (612) 889-2423
- Hook Line & Sinker Guide Servicefishing guide, Kuttawa, (270) 388-0525
- Nativ Bowfishing Guide Servicefishing guide, Eddyville, (270) 625-9414
Towns a county-road drive from Lake Barkley
- Eddyville12 miles
- Cadiz12 miles
- Princeton16 miles
Lake Barkley split up by Kentucky county
- Livingston Countyseat: Smithland
- Lyon Countyseat: Eddyville
- Trigg Countyseat: Cadiz
Piscifun tackle set aside for a day on Lake Barkley
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Bluegrass and coalfield water near Lake Barkley, on film
Photo: Shannon McGee, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Thomas McGehee Photography, CC BY 2.0
Photo: LouisvilleUSACE, CC BY 2.0
Common puzzles about fishing Lake Barkley
What part of Kentucky is Lake Barkley in?
Its KDFWR page files it under Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties; the closest Census town, Eddyville, is about 12 miles away.
What size does the KDFWR note give Lake Barkley?
Roughly 39,496 acres in Kentucky; 49,083 acres in all.
How many KDFWR ramps reach Lake Barkley?
40 ramps and carry-down launches, with Bacon Creek – LBL Boat Ramp on Lake Barkley among them.
Which fish does KDFWR regulate at Lake Barkley?
Its rule and stocking tables cover largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, white crappie, redear sunfish, white bass and striped bass.
Does Lake Barkley just follow the statewide table?
It carries 11 special-regulation lines, shown in full in the limits band.
What must a visitor buy before fishing Lake Barkley?
Anglers 16 and older need a Kentucky fishing license; the 2026 guide prints $24.31 for the resident annual license and $58.14 for nonresidents. Border-water rules are quoted on this page.
Does KDFWR map shore access at Lake Barkley?
KDFWR shows no fishing pier on it.
Where do Kentucky anglers grab bait before Lake Barkley?
Stop at Lake Barkley Marina, about 6 miles away for bait.
Is Lake Barkley high or low right now?
Our level band quotes USACE Nashville District for this water.
Is Lake Barkley in the Kentucky record book?
KDFWR lists a 1.58 lbs yellow perch from Lake Barkley, dated 03/02/2024.
Where do printed winning weights from Lake Barkley events show up?
The Kentucky tournament page carries every dated event and result we sourced.
Pick a free fishing weekend for Lake Barkley
Check the creel numbers before a fish goes in the cooler.